We get excited about seeing what Jesus did in his actual ministry, and about the Vision of God he taught. We believe that what we do is to be shaped by what he did. Recognizing that there are lots of things we can't be sure about when it comes to God, we believe we need to learn from each other, and from other parts of the Christian faith, and from other religious traditions.

We believe that our church is a place to find challenge and support, encouragement and questions, prayers and laughter. We believe that laughter is not the least important of these experiences!

Open and Affirming is the status granted to congregations who have voted to affirm their welcome to LGBTQ persons into their congregations. The Community Church of the Pelhams voted unanimously on October 14, 2018 to approve its Open and Affirming statement.

In part that statement pledges to welcome and affirm persons who come to the church regardless of differences in “sexual orientation, gender expression or identity, marital status, age, mental and physical ability, as well as racial, ethnic, or social-economic background.”

About the UCC

The roots of the UCC are intertwined with that of America itself, beginning with the creation of the Congregational Church in 1630. Equally deep is the UCC’s commitment to social justice:

1773: The Boston Tea Party is the nation's first act of civil disobedience, organized first at Old South Meeting House, a Congregational Church.

1785: Lemuel Haynes is the first African-American minister ordained by a Protestant denomination.

1839: Congregationalists mount a legal defense of the escaped African slaves from the ship "Amistad," ultimately winning the case in the Supreme Court.

1853: Antoinette Brown becomes the first woman ordained as a minister since New Testament times.

1972: Rev. William R. Johnson becomes the first openly gay person ordained by a Protestant denomination.

We are a decentralized church -- meaning that Christ, not any specific person or organization, is our head -- and we depend on each congregation to tackle the great issues of the 21st century in their own way.

To see the sources for the information listed above, or just to learn more about the history, theology, and structure of the United Church of Christ, visit www.ucc.org.